1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a battery pack, and more particularly, to a battery pack that improves efficiency by electrically connecting a plurality of unit batteries and packing the electrically connected unit batteries as one unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
As mobile device technology has remarkably developed and the demand for mobile devices has increased, the demand for secondary batteries as a power supply source has also rapidly increased. Depending on the types of external devices in which batteries are used, such secondary batteries may be used in the form of a single battery or in the form of a battery pack in which a plurality of batteries are electrically connected and are packed as one unit.
Small-sized devices such as mobile phones operate with an output and capacity of a single battery for a predetermined amount of time. On the other hand, battery packs are usually used in medium or large size devices such as mobile devices including notebook computers or camcorders, motor-operated bicycles requiring high power, motor scooters, electric motor vehicles, and hybrid electric motor vehicles that need to be driven with high power for a long time.
Thus, these medium or large size devices require higher output power and higher capacity batteries. Battery packs are capable of increasing an output voltage or an output current according to the number and connection structure of batteries embedded in the battery packs. In such battery packs, a plurality of batteries are embedded therein, and a charge and/or discharge operation is performed using large amounts of current. Thus, a plurality of battery cells included in battery packs may overheat.